Or if you want a real-life example of how asking questions helps to get things organized, read on…

My Chat With Audrey

Here’s a genuine conversation I had by instant message on the Internet which illustrates the point of getting organized as being tied to asking questions.

Audrey realized the solution to her problem herself, simply from me being open to listening to her and asking a few questions about her situation…

Audrey

Oh my god I am so unorganized. But it doesn’t really bother me, UNTIL i have company.

I still know where everything is , but when I clean up, it’s like I have no clue what I did with anything. Help.

Gav

Hello Audrey. If you were to be given $1000 for coming up with the best answer to your own question, what would your answer be?

Audrey

Either that if it doesn’t bother me don’t worry about it or something quirky. I also work a full time job, go to school full time and I am a single parent

Gav

ok
do you regularly feel overwhelmed?

Audrey

i used to, i almost had a breakdown until i realized that everything is temporary and subject to change

Gav

ok i have 3 questions:
do you feel you have a small or fair sized living space?
do you think you own too much ‘stuff’?
have you sat and made a list of your rooms, and the ideal stuff you’d keep in each room, including each storage area?

Audrey

I do think I own too much , But I don’t want to give it to the salvation army because they will only resale the things . I want to GIVE them away but I have no one to give to.
And I think I do not have enough storage space.

Gav

ok, do you know anyone with a garage that they wouldn’t mind you putting a couple boxes into for the time being until you figure out who to give the stuff to?

Audrey

nope. I’ve tried to organize but I only scatter things again

Gav

who would you give the stuff to?
You either need to keep it where you have it at home and create storage for it, put it somewhere else for safekeeping, or get rid of it pronto. can you see any other possibile option?

Audrey

When? – i need like 30 extra hours in my week.

Gav

throwing things away can be tough. clarity of life direction will help with what to keep in your life.

Audrey

what do i do to throw them away? how do i let go even though I thought I did?

I COULD GIVE THEM TO THE BATTERED WOMENS SHELTER!!!!

Duh. I feel so retarded right now.

Gav

sitting alone with pen and paper can allow you to find many solutions to all sorts of problems

——————
Audrey

u ask good questions

Gav

and asking yourself questions

—————–

Gav

wow we just had the same idea… yes, it’s all about the questions.

Audrey

so… If i ask it will come to me.

Gav

It may well do.
if not, read my articles or use the 7 Steps until the right question or the right answer appears

Audrey

I write a lot of songs and poetry, but not a lot of questions

Gav

then you already have good creativity and flexibility of thinking, just apply the same skill to questions about how to organize things in your life.

Audrey

WHOA thats a real job right there.

Gav

Audrey that will have to be all for the time being, its been nice speaking to you.

Audrey

You too. Peace.
——
Ok that was the end of the conversation. So…

…how can YOU use questions to get organized?

Good question…

(couldn’t resist that one)

You and I are constantly evaluating things in our environment.

Which means we are constantly asking ourselves questions, about our surroundings and about our options.

So the good news is that asking questions is something you are already really good at.

There are 6 main types of question

I’m certain that you are familiar with them all 😉

What? Why? When? Where? How? and Who?

Rudyard Kipling put it into a neat little rhyme that goes like this:

“I have 6 honest serving men, they taught me all I knew: There names are what, and why, and how. And where, and when, and who.”

So turn your skill of asking questions to the task of whatever you want to organize.
Don’t be shy about using pen and paper either. Writing your thoughts out make them so much easier to organize.

By now you should agree that asking questions is indeed the provable solution to getting organized.

This is an excerpt from my ebook “Life Management for the New Professional – Get Organized. Be Efficient. Manage Time”. Get the full ebook FREE with a membership to the 7 Steps of Organizing program which shows you exactly what questions to ask and when to ask them to organize anything that you want to.

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Gavriel

Gavriel Shaw is a social trends writer and futurist marketer. As Founder of Success-Matrix he oversees the strategic direction of the site. If you're interested in becoming a contributing author on the site, click the guest post link in the top right corner.
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